Method for producing fullerene-containing carbon and device for carrying out said method

An apparatus for manufacturing fullerene-containing soot incorporating a plasma reactor in the form of hermetically sealed cylindrical chamber, an inert gas circulation system, a means for collecting the fullerene-containing soot, two graphite rod-like electrodes, the first electrode being firmly fixed in a cooled current feedthrough and the second electrode, mounted in another cooled current feedthrough, that can be moved in axial direction, comprising:

• an additional chamber for degassing said moving graphite electrode in a glow discharge,
• an inert gas recirculation system provided with an annular-slit nozzle substantially aligned coaxially with said electrodes,
• means for entrapment of the fullerene-containing soot comprising an electric separator at the inlet of said inert gas recirculation system;
• and
• means for applying to the graphite electrode a d.c. electrical voltage and altering its polarity between positive and negative for predetermined time intervals enough to burn the carbon deposit formed on said electrodes.

A method of continuously manufacturing fullerene-containing products by vaporizing graphite in an electric arc maintained between two axially aligned graphite electrodes in an electric arc zone in a hermetically sealed cylindrical chamber containing an inert gas atmosphere, removing the products formed in the electric arc with a stream of inert gas and subsequent deposition of the products in the form of fullerene-containing soot, wherein at least one of the graphite rods is movable along the axis of the chamber, comprising the steps of:

• feeding the at least one graphite electrode along the axis of the chamber into a glow discharge zone for degassing the electrode;
• thereafter feeding the graphite electrode along the axis of the chamber into the electric arc zone;
• applying a d.c. electrical voltage of a selected polarity to the graphite electrodes for producing an arc for vaporizing the electrodes;
• alternating the polarity of the d.c. electrical voltage applied to the electrodes between a positive and negative polarity for predetermined time intervals sufficient to burn carbon deposits formed on the electrodes during vaporization thereof;
• and
• aligning an annular nozzle having a radius R coaxially with the electrodes;
• and
• blowing an annular stream of inert gas through the annular nozzle coaxially around the electrodes for removing said soot from the electric arc zone.

An apparatus for manufacturing fullerene-containing product comprising:

• a plasma reactor in the form of a hermetically sealed cylindrical chamber having a central axis;
• first and second electrodes being axially aligned along the axis;
• an inert gas circulation system;
• a vaporization region for vaporizing at least one of the electrodes to produce soot containing the product;
• a collector for collecting the soot caused by vaporization of the electrodes;
• a first cooled current feedthrough for mounting the first electrode in the chamber, and a second cooled current feedthrough for mounting the second electrode in the chamber for axial movement along said axis;
• a glow discharge chamber for degassing said movable electrode;
• an inert gas recirculation system having an annular-slit nozzle coaxially aligned with the electrodes and an inlet,
• an electric separator at the inlet of said inert gas recirculation system for entrapping soot;
• and
• an input for d.c. electric voltage to the electrodes;
• a polarity changer coupled to the input for the electrodes for alternating the electrical voltage between positive and negative polarity for selected time intervals sufficient to burn off carbon deposits formed on the electrodes during vaporization of the electrode.